Spring-equalizer device for vehicles



H. :oumsow. SPRING EQUALIZER DEVICE FOR-VEHICLES.

APPLICATIONYFILE D NOV, 12, 192].

1,430,381 Patentedse t. 26,1922.

Herberl" John :on

Patented Sept, 22$, 1W2.

entree PTEENT- HERBERT JOHNSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNQR OF ONE-HALFTO WILLIAIVE H. WHITE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SPRING-EQUALIZER DEVICE FOR VEHICLES.

Application filed. November 12, 1921.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT JorINsoN, citizen of the United States,residing at 573 Mott Avenue, the Bronx, New York, State of New York,have invented a certain new and useful Improved Spring-Equalizer Devicefor Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the spring sus pensions of vehicles,particularly motor driven vehicles, and the improvement to which thepresent invention is directed is applicable to all types of suspensionswhether the spring or springs thereof extend in parallelism with theaxle or axles or in parallelism with or at an inclination to thelongitudinal axis of the vehicle.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improvedconstruction whereby the main spring or springs of the suspension is orare relieved of a portion of the load or tension thereon to thus improveor add to the flexibility of the same, and also to provide for theequalization of the effect of sudden shocks between the main spring orsprings and an auxiliary resilient means provided in accordance with thepresent invention.

The improvement to which the present invention is directed isillustrated in the accompanying drawings which show its appli cation totwo different types of spring suspension, although it is to beunderstood that the invention is not restricted to the two specificapplications thereof shown in the drawings.

In the drawings Fig. 1 illustrates the invention used in connection witha spring suspension in which a main spring is arranged in parallel ismwith and above the axle of the vehicle, and

Fig. 2 shows the invention applied to a three-quarter elliptical springsuspension.

Referring firstly to the construction shown in Fig. 1, the numeral 1indicates the axle of a vehicle and numeral 2 indicates a part of theframe of the vehicle. These parts are of well known construction andneed not be further illustrated or described, it being of courseunderstood that the axle supports the vehicle wheels at opposite endsthereof and that the frame supports the body of the vehicle. The mainspring 3 extends in parallelism with the axle 1 above the Serial No.514,555.

ported by the perch at, it being understoodthat only one lever 5 isshown in thedrawmg, the other lever being behind the same.

The end of the spring 3 is pivotally connected to and between the lowerends of the levers 5 by means of a pin or bolt 7 so that when the springis subjected to tension or load the levers 5will be rocked about thepivot upon the perch 4.

Pivotally connected to and between the upper ends of the levers 5 bymeans of a pin or bolt 8 is the head or outer end of a stem or rod 9,the other end of which passes through an aperture in and is thus guidedby the upstanding portion or arm 10 of a bracket 11 which fits over andis firmly secured to the main spring 3 at a distance from the endthereof, as by means of pins or bolts 12. The stem or rod 9 isscrewthreaded for at least a portion of the length thereof to receive anut 13, between which and the arm 10 surrounding the stem 9 is a coiledcompression spring let, a washer 15 preferably being interposed betweenthe nut 13 and the adjacent end of the spring. In the drawing, only oneend of the spring 3 has been shown, it being understood that a similararrangement of parts will be provided at the other end of the spring.

With the arrangement of the parts illustrated in Fig. 1, the spring 14is under an initial compression or strain so that it takes up orsupports a portion of the load of the f vehicle. If the nut 13 wasslacked off toward the head of the stem 9 so as to permitthe spring 14to assume a relaxed .or uncompressed condition, the stemf9 would movetoward th left in the figure and the levers 5 would assume a morevertical position due to the additional tension of the main spring 3caused by this spring taking up the entire load. By adjusting the nut 13along stem 9 so as to impart an initial compression or strain to thespring l4, the stem is moved toward the right in the figure and thelevers 5 are inclined more to the vertical, assuming a position as shownin the figure, the result oi this being that the main spring 8 isrelieved of a portion of the load or tension thereon, which portion ofthe load or tension is taken up by the spring 14, thus adding to theflexibility of the main spring 3. When the main spring is subjected to agreater load the levers 5 are rocked about the pivot 6 so as to move thestem 9' toward the left in the F1 ire, thus further compressing thespring 1-.- between the nut 13 and the arm 10 whereby the spring takesup'an additional portion of the load applied. By adjusting the positionof the nut 13 along the stem 9. the tension or strain on the spring 141,may be increased or decreased so that it will take up a greater orsmaller portion of the load, correspondingly relieving the main springof the load or tension thereon. A loch nut 16 is preferably provided onthe stem 9 for locking the nut 13 in adjusted position.

7 It will be seen that with the arrangement described the eii'ect of anysudden shocks to which the vehicle may be subjected will besubstantially equalized between the spring 1st and the main saring 3,and also that the tension of the spring let eliminates the possibilityof excessive lateral motion or side swing of the frame 2 and the body ofthe-vehicle relatively to the axle.

In Fig. 2, the invention is shown applied to a spring suspensionembodying threequarter elliptical spring comprising an upper spring 1.7secured at its rigid end to frame 18 of the vehicle and connected at itsother end to the end of a lower spring 19, which is supported upon theaxle of the vehicle which carries the road wheel 20. In the usualconstructions, the ends of the springs 17 and 19 are connected by shortlinks or shackles, but in the present construction the ends of thesprings are com nected by members or lerers 21 ot bell-crank term, thespring 19 being connected to and between apices oi the levers by meansot a pin or bolt 22, and the downturned end. of the spring 17 beingconnected to and between the arms 23 of levers 21 by a pin or bolt 24'.The head or outer end of the stem 9 is pivoted to and between the otherarms 25 of levers 21 by means of a pin or bolt 26. The remaining partsof the construction are substantially the same as those illustra -.din'Fig. 1 and these parts have been sin'iilarly numbered in Fig. 2.

jrssuming that the nut l3 in Fig. 2 was sl acked off to relieve thecompression of spring i l, the stem 9 would be moved to the left in thefigure by the movement oi the spring 19" in taking up the additionalportion of the load, the lever ll assuming a nieces-i.

position with the arm 23 thereot more vertical. it now the nut 13 ismoved along the stem 9 to impart an initial compression or strain. tothe spring is, this i sults in the stem 5) being moved toward the rightin the ligure so as to move the lever 21 into substantially the ptsitionillustrated in the figure, whereby the spring 19 is relieved of aportion of the tension or load thereon, this portion being ta zen u bythe spring 'lhus the spring 1 initially assumes a part oil the load ofthe vehicle which would.

otl'ierwise be assumed by the spring 19, so that the latter spring 18relieved. of this porti n of the load, thereby adding to its lie ibility. By adjusting the position oil the nut 13 on stem 9, a greater orsmaller portion oi. the load is taken up by the spring Ll.

It will thus be understood that with the impro ed. construction inaccordance with the present invention the flexibility of the springsuspension incre: :ed,and also that the effect of sudden shocks isequalized between the main spring or sprin 's and the auxiliary springti, thus avoidi k damage to or breakage of the main spring by theapplication of sudden shocks tl'iereto.

will be understood that the invention is not restricted to the detaileoconstruction hereinbct'ore described as the same is capable 0t variationto meet different conditions and applications of the invention.

lVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1.. In a spring suspension 1'01 vehicles, the combination with a mainspring interposed hetwccu the framework and an axle oi. the vehicle, ofan abutment means on said spring, means movable by said main spring whensubjected to load or shoal: and includand resilient means in erposed inits entirety between said .ing an adjustable element abutment means andsaid adjustable element.

lln a, Sjll'lll suspension toiwehicles, the combination with a mainspring interposed between the "framework and an axle oi the vehicle, ofan abutment ni -ms on saii'l spri'u; means movable by said main springwhen subjected to load short, one of said means inch; f a adjustahleelement, and resilient means interposed in its ei .irety between saidadjustable element and the other of said means; and compressiblethroughout its entire length by the movement of said movable means.

3. in a spring suspension for vehicles, the combination with a mainspring inter 'iosed between the framework and an axle of the vehicle, iresilient means, means for sold ing one end of said resilient meansagainst movement. and means iiuivuli e by said main. spring whensubjected to load or short: and operative upon the other end ot saidresilient means to iuii'lornily stress the same throughwhole lengththereof, one ot the two out the means last mentioned being adjustable tovary the normal tension or stress of said resilient means, and tosimultaneously reversely vary the tension or load on the main spring.

a. In a spring suspension for vehicles, the combination with a mainspring interposed between the framework and an axle of the vehicle, ofresilient means, means for holding one end of said resilient meansagainst movement, and means movable by said main spring when subjectedto load or shock and operative upon the other end of said resilientmeans to uniformly stress the same throughout the whole length thereof,said movable means including an element adj ustable to vary the normaltension or stress of said resilient means, and to simultaneouslyreversely vary the tension or load on the m ain spring.

5. In a spring suspension for vehicles, the combination with a mainspring interposed between the framework and an axle of the vehicle, ofresilient means, means holding one end of said resilient means againstmovement, and a pivoted lever having one part thereof directly connectedto said main spring and having means connected with another part thereofoperative upon the other end of said resilient means to uniformly stressthe same throughout the whole length thereof, one of said twolast mentioned means being adjustable to vary the normal tension or stress ofsaid resilient means and to simultaneously reversely vary the tension orload on themain spring.

6. In a spring suspension for vehicles, the combination with a mainspring interposed between the framework and an axle of the vehicle, ofan abutment means on said spring, a pivoted lever, means having one partconnected to and movable by the main spring when subjected to load orshock, one of said two means including an adjustable element, andresilient means interposed in its entirety between said adjustableelement and the other of said two means and compressible throughout itsentire length by the movement of said lever means.

7. In a spring suspension for vehicles, the combination with a mainspring interposed between the framework, and an axle of the vehicle, ofan abutment means on said spring, a pivoted lever having one partthereof connected to said main spring and movable thereby when subjectedto load or shock, adjustable means connected to and movable with anotherpart of said lever, and resilient means interposed in its entiretybetween said abutment means and said adjustable means.

8. In a spring suspension for vehicles, the combination with a mainspring interposed between the framework and an axle of the vehicle, ofan abutment means on said spring, means movable by said main spring whensubjectedto load or shock, and resilient means, and adjusting meanstherefor intel-posed intheir entirety between said abutment means andsaid movablemeans.

9. In a spring suspension for vehicles, the combination with a mainspring interposed between the framework and an axle of the vehicle, ofan abutment means on said spring, means movable by said main spring whensubjected to load or shock, a rod connected to one of said means andmovable relatively to the other of said means, and a compression springsurrounding said rod and abutting at one end against said abutment meansand at its other end against said movable means and compressiblethroughout its entire length by the movement of said movable means.

10. In a spring suspension for vehlcles,

the combination with a main spring interposed between the framework andan axle of the vehicle, of an abutment means 011 the spring, meansmovable by said main spring when subjected to load or shock, a rodconnected to one of said means and movable relatively to the otherthereof, an adjustable element on said rod, and a compression springinterposed in its entirety between said adjustable element and that oneof said means relatively to which said rod is movable, said. springbeing compressible throughout its entire length by the movement of saidmovable means.

11. In a spring suspension for vehicles, the combination with a mainspring interposed between the framework and an axle of the vehicle, of abracket on said spring, a pivoted lever connected to and movable by saidmain spring when subjected to load or shock, a rod pivotally connectedto said lever and guided by said bracket, and a compression springsurrounding said rod and interposed between said bracket and saidmovable means.

12. In a spring suspension for vehicles,

the combination with a main spring inter posed between the framework andan axle of the vehicle, of a bracket on said spring, a pivoted leverconnected to said main spring and movable thereby when subjected to loador shock, a screw-threaded rod pivotally connected to said lever andguided by said bracket, an adjustable member threaded on said rodbetween said lever and said bracket, and a compression springsurrounding said rod between said bracket and said adjustable member.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HERBERT JOHNSON.

l/Vitnesses:

WJLLIAM I-I. WHITE, CrIAs. B. CRoMPToN,

